Easy DUN & BT DUN for Sprint & Cingular Treo 650
As I mentioned in my previous post, Dial-Up Networking (DUN) is fully enabled with the unlocked Treo 650 GSM and unfortunately still (currently) fully disabled on either Sprint's (CDMA) or Cingular's (GSM) Treo 650.
However, after testing an application called PdaNet from JuneFabrics I am happy to say that owners of either Sprint's or Cingular's Treo 650 (albeit they must have Windows installed on their PC) will be able to make full use of DUN either via Bluetooth or their USB sync cable (owners of the Treo 600 can also have DUN but only via cable).
After downloading PdaNet, I was surprised to see just how easy it was to install (don't ask me why but for some reason I expected this would be incredibly complex) and aside from choosing my Treo model (GSM or CDMA), the location of PdaNet's application folder and performing a HotSync to install it on my Treo 650 there was literally nothing to do.
Once installed, a small PdaNet icon will appear in your system tray providing you access to various settings and the only thing that I got stuck on was figuring out what the COM port number for my Bluetooth Serial Port was but I fixed this quickly after JuneFabrics forwarded a dedicated "Setting Up Bluetooth for PdaNet" web page.
After all the settings are completed on the PC side of things (note that you will need to have Bluetooth built-in or alternatively buy a BT USB Adapter or BT PCMCIA Adapter), launching PdaNet is a piece of cake as you simply need to open the application on your Treo and the rest is done automatically for you - depending on how you decide to set it up you can choose to 'Auto Connect' when you open PdaNet. As you can see from the two screenshots below, you can choose between USB or Bluetooth DUN.
Success, I'm connected! Both the PdaNet window on my Treo and PdaNet Modem Status on my laptop are now in sync and I can freely surf the web wherever I decide to take my Treo and laptop (please note that while the indicated speed is 57.6 Kbps JuneFabrics informed me that this had been hardcoded and was not indicative of actual throughput and the best way to determine the speed of your connection is to visit DSLReports.com and perform a 'Speed Test').
As some Treonauts may land directly on this post I will repeat what I said earlier about DUN:
I am absolutely over the moon with DUN enabled because it is so incredibly useful, simple and fast to use - I just have to a) make sure that my Treo is relatively close to my laptop (I tried it with my Treo 2 meters away and it still worked perfectly); b) open PdaNet on my Treo 650 and c) click 'Connect' and I'm up and running. Now I can take my laptop anywhere I want and connect to the web within two clicks - all without the clutter and hassle of any cables and with pretty decent speed to boot.
In the process of setting up my DUN I also learned something else. Namely that DUN runs on your carrier's 'data' network and not 'voice' network. This means that you'll need to make sure to have signed up with the right data plan (ideally 'unlimited') if you don't want to face up to a nasty surprise on your bill at the end of the month. However, PdaNet also allows you to dial into your own ISP or company server using your 'voice' minutes but I did not fully test this.
In conclusion, while much has been said about Sprint's and Cingular's 'disabled' DUN functionality it was extremely surprising to find out that there was such an easy workaround. As always, it is clear that there are resourceful developers (and hackers) with the ingenuity to correct 'mistakes'. There's no doubt that PdaNet is a must-have application for any Treonaut who wants an easy and very well designed application to enable cable or Bluetooth DUN on their Sprint or Cingular Treo 650.
Finally, as I mentioned previously, this solution is only available to Windows users but Jonathan who is on Mac told me yesterday that a similar (albeit not as elegant) solution as PdaNet called WirelessModem was available to Mac users and I hope that he will find some time to write about this shortly.
PdaNet for Treo 650 and Treo 600 ($34) [JuneFabrics]
Setting Up Bluetooth for PdaNet Guide [JuneFabrics Support]
WirelessModem (DUN for Mac users) [NotifyMail]
DSLReports.com (Connectivity Speed Test)
TRENDware Bluetooth USB Adapter [Amazon]
Belking Bluetooth PC Adapter Card [Amazon]
Sprint and Cingular Treo 650 [palmOne Store]
Treonauts have DUN it again... 
Comments
I wish someone would make a similar product for the Treo 650 and my Mac OSX. I'd love to keep the phone in my pocket while using the iBook to wirelessly surf the web.
I used a data cable a few months to connect to sprint and received a $400.00 bill for the month. The said they could tell that I was connecting through a data cable. Is there a danger of the same thing happening if I use the method described above. (DUN Bluetooth). Thanks for the help.
Ouch! That bill would certainly hurt anybody. However, your experience is extremely unusual and I have not heard of anybody being charged extra for using their data plan with a PC.
However, if you had not selected an 'unlimited' data plan and connected frequently then as I mention a nasty surprise with your bill could be 'normal'.
Cheers, A.
Can PdaNet run in the background, allowing me to answer calls and use the PDA while maintaining the connection?
Ryan,
Very good question - I hadn't thought about that.
Although it was my belief that you could, after testing it now I discovered that you won't be able to get any calls while using DUN - they all go straight to voice mail.
You can however still use all the apps on your Treo while keeping the DUN enabled by selecting the "Remain Connected on Exit" option in PdaNet on the Treo.
Cheers, A.
Do I need BT for DUN? Can I use my USB sync cable instead? Or is that what Mike is describing as a data cable? Many newbie questions.
Thanks,
Ken
OK. I answered my own question. I used the USB HotSync cable with PdaNet and it worked just fine (after turning off the WiFi radio). I better upgrade to the unlimited plan.
Ken
I've been using PDAnet for about 3 years on my Treo 300. Never got a bill for anything extra from Sprint, my connection speed runs about 145 kbps, and it even worked in the middle of the California desert. Another program I have for some other phones I use is FutureDial. The difference is that FutureDial seems to require use of their own USB cable to connect the phone (won't work on Treo, anyway) and their cables don't allow simultaneous charging and DUN. To top it off, PDAnet has some good people running their service desk.
Thanks for this information. If I were any less technically oriented I wouldn't be able to turn my Treo on by myself, and even I could make this thing work. It's pretty nice, and was easy to put on. You need a USB bluetooth adapter for your desktop or notebook, and it's easy if you establish that connection Bluetooth with the 650 before you install the PDAnet software. You also have to (using Bluetooth) establish a virtual modem with incoming data on your desktop, but that's also in the PDAnet directions and is easy to do.
now...with sprint, if i have 'vision'...vision is unlimited, is this the 'unlimited' data plan that you're talking about? i know that sprint also has a business department that has an unlimited data plan...i would guess that that would be the 'safest' way to go, but i'd like to also think that i can likely get away with the unlimited 'consumer' vision....
I've been to many forums over the past few weeks, but can't find instructions for my given situation. I have Sprint PCS Vision, iBook G4, and Treo 650. I want to use the Treo as a modem via HotSync cable. Is PDAnet for PC only? I downloaded Wireless Modem, installed on my iBook and my Treo, but don't know how to configure. Anyone know how to pick up where I left off?
Oh my God this is so cool!!!! I just installed PDANet on my Cingular Treo 650, and it works like a champ, way better and faster than my Sony Erricson data card. Woohoo!
Thanks so much for sharing this info...what a great utility.
I loaded the PDANet and it is fantastic. It was easy to load as well as setup. I am averaging about 144K with Sprint.
I Just received my 650 and tried the pdanet software...... for some odd reason my anytime minutes are zapping away keep in mine that I am in the trial period of the software. I have the unlimited data plan .... can anyone tell me what is going on????
Rob you probably have it set up to where its using your voice minutes instead of your data plan. What did you input when you configured your modem settings?
I have to say, I found PDAnet to be the easiest software I have ever had to install. I also have to say it works better than advertised. I have installed a lot of software. It also took me about a week and a half to understand how to install software on my Treo. But, once I Read the F'n manual, it was as easy as sliced bread.
I finally installed a bunch of Treo software trials and they all work relatively "OK."
I synced my Treo 650 (Verizon) plugged in my data cable, and found the PDAnet application on my Treo.
There was only one button to push, "Connect" and guess what? It worked perfectly. Not to mention I do not have to take my Stylus out to push it. I have fat fingers and the "connect" button is large enough for me to hit with my finger.
I am sitting here in Florida, waiting for my regular connection to resurface due to downed lines, on the wake of Hurricane Wilma, and PDAnet saved me.
Not only that, I am typing this message using it, and I have no idea when my regular connection will come up. I just did a speed test and I am in the area of 100-112 down and 60 or so up.
I bought this phone expecting it would do this. I figured it would do it "out of the box" but it did not. I used to like to hack things to make them work, and that was where I was going with it. I found PDAnet by chance because they do not properly optimize the results in Google for things like:
"PDA laptop internet"
"Treo laptop modem"
"Treo modem laptop"
"CDMA modem laptop"
"GPRS modem laptop"
Etc.
That is my first contribution to PDAnet since Google will find that and bring you more licences. I also think I have contributed to Treonauts for keyword density.
My second contribution is I will be buying a license. The trial saved me, and for that you deserve reward. Thanks PDAnet.
This app does it, and flawlessly at least on my PDA. It is worth the license fee and probably more.
I have not received a data bill from Verizon as of yet. I will report back on that later, but I am on an "unlimited" plan, they can put it some place else if they decide to give me a spcheel like a previous poster, regarding being able to tell they connected through a data cable.
Is it unlimited, or is it not?
I pay $45.00/mo and never use it. I pay this fee to ensure the one month/week/day of the year I have to use it, that I can.
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